Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren: The Technology
Published: 25th August 2003
Three transmission programmes for short, sporty gearshifts
The 5-speed automatic transmission, fitted as standard, is also designed for high performance. It allows the driver to choose between three programmes, letting him or her determine the shift speed individually. When "Manual" is selected, the five gears can either be shifted using buttons on the steering wheel or using the selector lever's Touchshift function. In manual mode the driver can select between three shift stages - "Sport", "SuperSport" and "Race" - significantly shortening the shift times still further for an even sportier drive.
High-tech material for exemplary safety and outstanding rigidity
The bodyshell of the high-performance sports car is also distinctly high-tech. Along with the front and rear structure and the passenger cell, the swing-wing doors and the bonnet, it is made entirely from carbon fibre composite. This lightweight yet extremely rigid material originated in the aeronautical and space industries and has also proven its benefits in today's Formula 1 race cars. The weight advantage of the high-tech material over steel is around 50 per cent.
In addition to this, carbon fibres, on impact, are characterised by four to five times higher energy absorption than steel or aluminium. Mercedes-Benz exploits these qualities by inserting two 620 mm longitudinal members made from carbon fibre in the front structure of the new SLR. These absorb the entire energy of the crash in a head-on collision without exceeding tolerable deceleration values for the occupants. In an impact the fibres of these elements shred from front to rear with precisely calculated deformation behaviour, ensuring constant deceleration.
